Andy,

DU is the same toxicity as lead on a gram-to-gram basis, and by the same mechanism - heavy metal damage to the kidneys.

I did the calculation on background concentrations of uranium. Local concentrations of uranium differ, of course, but its abundance in the Earth\'s crust is not insignificant:

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
Estimated Crustal Abundance: 2.7 milligrams per kilogram

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\"> That\'s 2.7 ppm per http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele092.html

If dirt weights 200 lb per cubic foot, the top foot of dirt over a square mile weights 5,576,000,000 lb. AT 2.7 ppm, there\'s 15,000 lb of uranium in that average top foot of dirt. Adding 2,000 lb of DU increases the concentration by 13.3%.

Just how much ordinance you want to assume is shot off per unit area in a theatre of war is up to you and you can fiddle with the density of dirt if you want but the basic conclusion should be that American warfare adds little to the natural occurance of uranium over any reasonable area.

When we go to war, we have to kill people. American policy since Sherman has been make war as violent and as painful to the enermy as we can so he will give up as soon as possible. A quick conclusion to war is the most humane solution, if fight we must. If DU weapons help make a war shorter, then its use is well worth it.